Bookbinder&#39;s signature-holding clamp.



E. F. PRCE.

BOOKBINDER'S SIGNATURE HOLDING CLAMP.

APPLICATION PILIIII Amm, 1914.

1,1 18,58L Patented N0v.24,1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN RPRICE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT `O11" COLUMBIA.

BOOKBINDERS SIGNATURE-HOLDING CLAMP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914:.`

Application led April 8, 1914. Serial No. 830,410.

have invented new and useful Improve-` ments in Bookbinders SiGnature-Holdimr D D Clamps, of which the following is a speciboth ends of the line `of stitching.

fication.

My invention relates to a signature holding clamp for book binders use, to` enable a signature and guard to be readily sewed together by hand.

I have found, that with a device such a is hereinafter described, a ledger may be more quickly and `accurately sewed by hand than by a machine such as is in common use. With machine sewing the ledger sheets are first folded to form a central crease as a guide for positioning the guard, and after the latter is placed thereon, they are passed together through the sewing machine; but I have found that it is difficult to prevent the separate sheets from moving with respect to each other and also to keep the guard centrally positioned. In machine sewed ledgers' the threads must be tied at In my device the ledger sheets and the guard are accurately positioned and firmly held so that they may be sewed together in such a manner that it is only necessary to tie the threads at one end of the line of stitching.

In actual tests I have sewed a greater numi ber of signatures and guards in a given time than can ordinarily be done with a sewing machine and the work is much more accurate.

My invention consists in `the features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

` Referring to the drawing furnished and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a clamp embodying my invention. Fig.` 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the clamping members and a portion of the supporting work-board. Fig. i is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l showing the ledger leaves and guard between the clamping members.

As illustrated in the drawings, A and B indicate clamping members between which the signature or ledger leaves, and the guard to which they are to be stitched, are clamped. These clamping memberswill ordinarily be made of a sufficient length to support ledger leaves of the largest size in an upright position. Said clamping members are hinged together at one end in any suitable mannerr but I prefer to hinge them by means of links a which are inserted in slots cut in one end of each of said clamping members and secured thereto by means of pins a as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. At the opposite end of the clamping member B there is a link b pivotally secured to a plate b fastened to the rear of said clamping member B, and the lfree end of said link Z) is provided with a screw-threaded shank b2 for the reception of a thumb nut b3. The clamping members A and B are cach provided with a slot a2 into which the link b is swung when the clamping members A and B are closed, the thumb nut L" on said link being turned to secure the clamping members in clamping relations,` as will be readily understood.

After the thumb nut b3 has been initially set to hold the clamping members together with required pressure, the adjustment need not be thereafter disturbed, as the link l) may be readily swung out of engagement with the member A to open the clamping members as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The clamping member B is secured t0 one end of a worleboard C which is preferably made the full width of the clamping member B and which extends rearwardly therefrom a suflicient distance to afford support for the clamping members when the device is placed on a bench or table, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and also to form a clear working space on which the ledger leaves may be flatly folded after they have been sewed` tothe guard as will be herein after explained. The work-board C is preferably made in two separable sections c and c secured together in any suitable manner when the device is .in use, but which may be separated for storage when the device is out of use. As illustrated in the drawing the two sections c and c are secured together by dowels c2 and links c, the latter being pivotally secured to thesection c by in the slots Z2 and are secured in adjusted position by means of thumb screws cl3, in a well known manner. Ity will beunderstocd that the signature or ledger leaves are placed in Vupright position between the clamping members A and B with the lower edge thereof resting on the rests D, and in order that the leaves may beheld laterally to prevent buckling, l provide the clamping member A with depending arms or rods e, e. Said arms are bent at their upper ends to form crank arms c which are pivotally secured at their outer ends to the underside of the clamping member A by screws e2, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. At their lower ends said arms pass their apertures in 'the rests D. The crank bends e in the upper ends of the arms e e permit the clamping members A and B to be opened alimited distance sufficient for the insertion. and removal of the ledger leaves, said arms being rotated by the opening and closing movement of the clamp, as will be readily understood.

For limiting the movement of the clamping member A, I provide a stop fwhich is c secured to the under side` of the member A, and which projects beneath themember B, the rear end of the stop being turned up to engage 'the clamping member B and thus limit the opening movement of the member A,as will be readily understood.

A11 adjustablestop G is mounted rupon the clamping member B adjacent the hinged end thereof, lsaid stop being in the form of a flat metal plate provided with a slot g. A vscrew g passing through said slot and into the clamping member B serves to hold the stop G in adjusted position. The forward end of said stop projects over the opening between the two clamping members and serves as a guide for positioning the signature or ledger leaves. 1t will be noted that the upper edges of the clamping members A and B are provided with spaced notches 7L which serve to guide the operator in properly spacing the stitches, as willbe hereinafter described.

Vhen in use, the device is placed upon a bench or other support with the work-board resting flatly thereon, and with the depending arms close to the edge of the bench as shown in Fig. 2. The operator, after selecting the requisite number of sheets or leaves, places them in upright position between the clamping members A and B with the lower edges 4of the sheets resting upon the rests D D and with the right hand edges of the sheets in contact with the stop G as indicated by the dotted line J in Fig. 2. The rests D D are adjusted so that the upper edge of the clamping members will be in alinement with the central line on which the leaves are to be folded. This adjustment, when once made,l remains the same for all sheets of a given size. After the sheets have been pospect to the edge of the clamping member B,-

one-half of the guard dropping between said clamping member and the sheets until the other or folded portion of the guard rests on the upper edge of the clamping member, ras illustrated in Fig. el.

The clamping members A and B are then pressed together and secured in clamping relation by meansl of the link b, hereinbefore described. rlhe operator then punches holes through the leaves and guards with an awl or other suitable tool, these holes being made along the upper edge of the clamping members, the notches 7L serving as guides for the awl and for the proper spacing of the holes. The leaves and guard are now sewed together with needle and thread which is passed alternately back land `forth through the punched holes, from one` edge of the sheets to the opposite edge and then back to thestarting'point, so that the two ends.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. A signature holding clamp comprising a pair of clamping members for receiving and holding a signature in upright position,

each of said membersbeing provided with depending arms aording lateral supports, and a rest' engaging said arms and adjustable thereon. l

Q. A signature holding clamp comprising a pair of clamping members hinged together at one end, means for clamping the members together atthe opposite end, each of said clamping members being provided with de pending arms affording lateral supports, and rests engaging said arms and adjustable thereon. j

3. A signature holding clamp comprising a work-board, a clamp member secured to one edge thereof, a second clamp member pivotally secured to one end of the r'st mentioned clamp member, clampingmeans at the opposite end of said clamp members, depending arms depending from each of said clampingymembers, and forming lateral supports for a signature placed between said members, rests engaging said depending arms and adjustable thereon to form supports for the lower edge of the signature, substantially as described.

4. A signature holding clamp comprising a pair of clamping members hingedtogether at one end, clamping means at the opposite end of `said members, arms depending beneath one of said clampin members, adjustable rests carried by sai arms, arms depending from. the other of said ciamping members slidabl connected to saidrests, substantially as escribed.

5. A signature holding 4clamp comprising a pair of clamping members hinged ;to-

ygether at one end, clamping means at the t opposite end of said members, arms dependform crank extensions, said extensions be 1 ing pivotally'secured to said clamping member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

i EDWIN F. PRICE.

Witnesses:

C. WV. FoWLnR, HOWELL BARTLE.`

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

d Washington, D. O." 

